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Luffy finally shows up together with his formed alliance from the escaped prisoners of Impel Down. As they were looking upon the scaffolding where Ace is, Crocodile has set off to attack Whitebeard soon as he had the chance, but Luffy caught up to his scheme intercepting Crocodile with Gear Second and with his body soaked wet. Crocodile then realizes Luffy already knew his weakness and therefore he had no choice but to give it up.

As for the first time, Luffy stands face-to-face with the World's Strongest Man. Showing interest towards the boy, Whitebeard then asks Luffy if he knew what he is against with. Luffy stood up refusing to be told what to do, showing little manners, he competes with Whitebeard even telling the old man that the next pirate king would be him. Everyone was shocked by Luffy's actions towards Whitebeard, but later on, the two of them agreed not to get in each other's way and do it as they please.

Luffy along the Impel Down escapees are falling from the sky, and a flashback starts. It shows how they were pushed by Whitebeard's seaquake which then turned into a tsunami, which quickly scares Buggy and the other pirates. Crocodile is fast in putting them in order by claiming that they can use the tsunami to their advantage and ride the wave. It is then frozen by Aokiji and they can see the battle has begun. Luffy suggests that they unstuck the ship so that it can slide through the frozen wave, but just before they can do something, the Den Den Mushi on the ship tells them (as a message to the Marines) that they should be set so that they can execute Ace ahead of schedule shocking everybody.

They break the ice but much to their surprise they do it in the wrong way and fall. Much to their luck, they fall precisely in the spot where Jozu picked up his iceberg. However, this proves bad news to the Devil Fruit users, to whom Jinbe has to save. Luffy then awakens on the destroyed ship, just to watch the still raging battlefield, and tries to find Ace, but he cannot find him anywhere. He looks everywhere he can, breaking through all the Marines who attack him with ease. Finally, Luffy finds Ace and shouts his name, to which Ace shouts back, which makes Luffy happy. Luffy and the company he brings shock everybody, and Sengoku soon blames Garp who is equally shocked.

Reactions vary, as Dracule Mihawk comments how Luffy always bring troubles with him, while Gekko Moriah is outraged by Luffy's arrival. Boa Hancock is glad that Luffy is alive. Donquixote Doflamingo is rejoiced that former and current Shichibukai are present and at the same time amused that Luffy is there as well. Admiral Aokiji comments on the group Luffy brings and Admiral Kizaru says that he never thought to see Luffy. Smoker wonders why Luffy and Crocodile are together. Marco recognizes the "brother" Ace told him about. Akainu finally seeing the "son of the revolutionary Dragon" and "grandson of Garp" decides that Luffy needs to be eliminated. Shocked, Sengoku asks Jinbe if that is his will to fight against the Marines, to whom he replies it is and that he "resigns the Shichibukai". Garp soon comments, that the escapees have no "common goal".

This soon proves to be right, as Crocodile is fast to attack Whitebeard on sight. Crocodile is then repelled by Luffy in Gear Second. Crocodile, who is cautious seeing that Luffy is wet with water to counter his abilities, tells him that their agreement is fulfilled and asks "why is he protecting Whitebeard" to which Luffy replies "he makes Ace happy". Crocodile is promptly held back by some Whitebeard Pirates. Whitebeard soon recognizes the straw hat as the one once worned by Shanks and remembers a past talk, about him losing his left arm. Whitebeard asks if it was Shanks's Straw Hat, to which Luffy answers it is. Whitebeard then asks Luffy if he came to rescue Ace to which Luffy confirms. Whitebeard angrily shouts that he will die if he tries, which shocks everybody. Luffy is fast and fearless to reply that "it is not up for him to decide" and that "he will become the next Pirate King".

Such reply, greatly stuns everybody, so much that the battle briefly stops. Whitebeard is soon to commend how "cheeky he is" and that he will not forgive him if he "gets in his way". Luffy replies that he "will do as he pleases, and will save Ace". Kizaru soon asks Sengoku if he can execute them all, to which Sengoku agrees.